1
as in infectious
capable of being passed by physical contact from one person to another
a cold is often catching before the symptoms even begin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spreading
exciting a similar feeling or reaction in others
a catching smile that instantly puts patients at ease
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in grabbing
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
we tried to catch the kitten before she could sneak out the door
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2
as in getting
to become affected with (a disease or disorder)
you'll catch the flu for sure if you don't get a shot
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stopping
to bring (something) to a standstill
I caught myself just as I was about to step into the freshly poured concrete
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in securing
to put securely in place or in a desired position
caught back her hair with a barrette
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5
as in knowing
to have a clear idea of
I didn't catch the point you were making about our nation's foreign policy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in tricking
to cause to believe what is untrue
a number of media outlets were caught by the woman's hard-luck story
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in encountering
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face
I'll catch you at the library tomorrow
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8
as in noticing
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
I looked out the window just in time to catch the neighbor's dog digging up my flower bed
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9
as in chasing
to move fast enough to get even with
despite the suspect's considerable lead, the fleet-footed police officer was able to catch him and make an arrest
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catching
Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Scott Wedgewood survived much of his lone year in the ECHL without any backup in net and without any backup for his catching hand.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2025
Ari Daniel, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026
Perched next to a chicken cookie jar on a shelf at The Market Place, an antique store in East Durham, about 2 hours from Manhattan, was a sleepy Eastern Screech Owl catching a snooze.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for catching
Adjective
The Angels’ best catching prospects are years from the majors.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Scott Wedgewood survived much of his lone year in the ECHL without any backup in net and without any backup for his catching hand.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2025
Verb
Or, more perilously, watching for behaviors indicating that urination was imminent and catching droplets streaming down from the chimps overhead into a plastic bag stretched over a forked branch.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026
Perched next to a chicken cookie jar on a shelf at The Market Place, an antique store in East Durham, about 2 hours from Manhattan, was a sleepy Eastern Screech Owl catching a snooze.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for catching
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catching
Adjective
-
The laughing becomes infectious.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In the lead-up to the midterms, Kennedy is reportedly nudging HHS away from attacking infectious-disease policy.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The news led Deadline to pose the question of whether happenstance means Cannes might struggle to add headline-grabbing movies this year, with several other blockbusters unlikely to screen there.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Video of that incident shows Peters grabbing the other woman and shoving her into the center of a hallway.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This alternating and reciprocal motion is not just about getting you from point A to point B.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
-
So a little less than half of the time in between the Bolt ending production and today was spent just getting everything set up in the factory and getting that line going again.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Rather than stopping disagreements from happening, this aspect is about repairing any damage left behind.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Tuesday’s game featured intentional clock-stopping, game-extending fouls by the Heat.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And then Tatis belted his momentum-securing home run.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Trump ally Newt Gingrich, a former Republican House speaker, said the administration should have moved on securing the strait on Day One of the conflict.—
Aamer Madhani,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His aerial strength and positional awareness allow SDFC’s midfield to step higher, knowing the back line remains stable.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Pat, not knowing about her relationship with Lockjaw, takes to being a father, but Perfidia pulls away, choosing to continue her work as a revolutionary in lieu of settling down.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The peach-plum gradient gown is the creation of Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen, whose high-fantasy sculptural gowns emphasize movement and eye-tricking form, often to gravity-defying effect.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Or, in other words, tricking them by holding up a sign.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Travelers across the United States are encountering unusually long airport security lines as a partial federal government shutdown strains staffing at the Transportation Security Administration.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
State officials decided last year to end the contracts with the current regional vendors of the Next Generation 911 system after encountering call routing and service issues.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catching. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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